A reflection on the week

During our Encuentro trip, we learned that Wednesday is the buy 1 get 1 free day at the movies. After class this past Wednesday, we took a cab to the Gallerias - a mall with a cinema. We had hoped to see the A-Team movie in the evening. Bobby and Miranda had decided on something else for the earlier show - hoping to get one of the two movies for free.

In México, the movie theatre has a VIP section of theatres where movie-goers sit in huge love seats\recliners and are served food and drink while the movie is playing. We had heard about this concept when we arrived in Cuernavaca and even had experienced it the week before when we saw the Prince of Persia movie. As I sipped a suprisingly decent glass of cabernet sauvignon and ate a monstrously huge piece of cheesecake, I thought I could get used to this...despite the fact that I`m not a regular at the movie theatre.

Unfortunately, we quickly realized that the Wednesday movie special didn`t apply to the VIP section. Oh well, we shrugged. The extra 50 pesos (or so) was definitely worth the luxury.

Meanwhile, as the first movie was going on, I was happy to circle the mall - mostly just browsing and walking off the huge chicken wrap I had just eaten in the food court (some things are universal, I guess!). As I set out on my own, I suddenly realized just how helpless I was in that situation. It wasn`t that I didn`t have money to buy something if I had wanted it - I didn`t really know what to say to the people working in the stores. Of course, I knew ¡Hola, buenas tardes! but beyond that I didn`t know what to say. If they asked me questions (which I`m sure pertained to buying or looking for something in the store), I was stuck. Victoria had told me earlier what to say if I was approached, but I couldn`t remember. So, I usually just smiled and kept walking.

It`s been a long time since I`ve felt that unable to take care of things for myself. Of course, throughout this trip I have been mindful of how things might be if the tables were turned. Something as simple as buying groceries suddenly becomes an overwhelming and daunting task if you don`t comprehend the language or have someone there to help you who can understand it and the various cultural differences.

I hope that I can be open to helping others by reaching out even if there are barriers present. I`ve also come to recognize that a sonrisa (smile) goes a long way. When in doubt, try, do your best, and smile. I know that has sure helped me many times along this journey.